Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume III Part 11

(19) (_a_) Name the various kinds of roasts, (_b_) Describe the roasting of beef in the oven.

(20) (_a_) What cuts of beef are most satisfactory for stews? (_b_) Explain how beef stew is made.

MEAT (PART 2)

VEAL

NATURE OF VEAL

1. Veal is the name applied to the flesh of a slaughtered calf. This kind of meat is at its best in animals that are from 6 weeks to 3 months old when killed. Calves younger than 6 weeks are sometimes slaughtered, but their meat is of poor quality and should be avoided. Meat from a calf that has not reached the age of 3 weeks is called bob veal. Such meat is pale, dry, tough, and indigestible and, consequently, unfit for food. In most states the laws strictly forbid the sale of bob veal for food, but constant vigilance must be exercised to safeguard the public from unscrupulous dealers. A calf that goes beyond the age of 3 months without being slaughtered must be kept and fattened until it reaches the age at which it can be profitably sold as beef, for it is too old to be used as veal.

2. The nature of veal can be more readily comprehended by comparing it with beef, the characteristics of which are now understood. Veal is lighter in color than beef, being more nearly pink than red, and it contains very little fat, as reference to Fig. 1, _Meat_, Part 1, will show. The tissues of veal contain less nutriment than those of beef, but they contain more gelatine. The flavor of veal is less p.r.o.nounced than that of beef, the difference between the age of animals used for veal and those used for beef being responsible for this lack of flavor. These characteristics, as well as the difference in size of corresponding cuts, make it easy to distinguish veal from beef in the market.

CUTS OF VEAL, AND THEIR USES

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 1]

3. The slaughtered calf from which veal is obtained is generally delivered to the butcher in the form shown in Fig. 1; that is, with the head, feet, and intestines removed and the carca.s.s split into halves through the spine. He divides each half into quarters, known as the _fore quarter_ and the _hind quarter_, and cuts these into smaller pieces.

4. FORE QUARTER.--The fore quarter, as shown in Fig. 1, is composed of the neck, chuck, shoulder, fore shank, breast, and ribs. Frequently, no distinction is made between the neck and the chuck, both of these pieces and the fore shank being used for soups and stews. The shoulder is cut from the ribs lying underneath, and it is generally used for roasting, often with stuffing rolled inside of it. The breast, which is the under part of the fore quarter and corresponds to the plate in beef, is suitable for either roasting or stewing. When the rib bones are removed from it, a pocket that will hold stuffing can be cut into this piece.

The ribs between the shoulder and the loin are called the _rack_; they may be cut into chops or used as one piece for roasting.

5. HIND QUARTER.--The hind quarter, as Fig. 1 shows, is divided into the loin, flank, leg, and hind shank. The loin and the flank are located similarly to these same cuts in beef. In some localities, the part of veal corresponding to the rump of beef is included with the loin, and in others it is cut as part of the leg. When it is part of the leg, the leg is cut off just in front of the hip bone and is separated from the lower part of the leg, or hind shank, immediately below the hip joint. This piece is often used for roasting, although cutlets or steaks may be cut from it. The hind shank, which, together with the fore shank, is called a _knuckle_, is used for soup making. When the loin and flank are cut in a single piece, they are used for roasting.

6. VEAL ORGANS.--Certain of the organs of the calf, like those of beef animals, are used for food. They include the heart, tongue, liver, and kidneys, as well as the thymus and thyroid glands and the pancreas. The heart and tongue of veal are more delicate in texture and flavor than those of beef, but the methods of cooking them are practically the same.

The liver and kidneys of calves make very appetizing dishes and find favor with many persons. The thymus and thyroid glands and the pancreas are included under the term _sweetbreads_. The thymus gland, which lies near the heart and is often called the _heart sweetbread_, is the best one. The thyroid gland lies in the throat and is called the _throat sweetbread_. These two glands are joined by a connecting membrane, but this is often broken and each gland sold as a separate sweetbread. The pancreas, which is the _stomach sweetbread_, is used less often than the others.

7. Table of Veal Cuts.--The various cuts of veal, together with their uses, are arranged for ready reference in Table I. Therefore, so that the housewife may become thoroughly familiar with these facts about veal, she is urged to make a careful study of this table.

TABLE I

NAMES OF VEAL CUTS AND ORGANS AND THEIR USES

NAME OF LARGE CUT NAME OF SMALL CUT USES OF CUTS

/ Head Soup, made dishes, gelatine | Breast Stew, made dishes, gelatine Fore Quarter | Ribs Stew, made dishes, chops | Shoulder Stew, made dishes Neck Stew or stock, made dishes

/ Loin Chops, roasts Hind Quarter | Leg Cutlets or fillet, sauteing, or roasting Knuckle Stocks, stews

/ Brains Made dishes, chafing dish | Liver Broiling, sauteing Veal Organs | Heart Stuffed, baked | Tongue Broiled, braised | Sweetbreads Made dishes, chafing dish Kidneys Boiled, stew

COOKING OF VEAL

VEAL CUTS AND THEIR PREPARATION

8. In the preparation of veal, an important point to remember is that meat of this kind always requires thorough cooking. It should never be served rare. Because of the long cooking veal needs, together with the difficulty encountered in chewing it and its somewhat insipid flavor, which fails to excite the free flow of gastric juice, this meat is more indigestable than beef. In order to render it easier to digest, since it must be thoroughly cooked, the long, slow methods of cookery should be selected, as these soften the connective tissue. Because of the lack of flavor, veal is not so good as beef when the extraction of flavor is desired for broth. However, the absence of flavor makes veal a valuable meat to combine with chicken and the more expensive meats, particularly in highly seasoned made dishes or salads. Although lacking in flavor, veal contains more gelatine than other meats. While this substance is not very valuable as a food, it lends body to soup or broth and a.s.sists in the preparation of certain made dishes. To supply the flavor needed in dishes of this kind, pork is sometimes used with the veal.

9. Veal Steaks or Cutlets.--Strictly speaking, veal cutlets are cut from the ribs; however, a thin slice cut from the leg, as shown in Fig. 2, while in reality a steak, is considered by most housewives and butchers as a cutlet. A piece cut from the leg of veal corresponds to a cut of round steak in beef.

10. Pan-Broiled Veal Steak or Cutlets.--Several methods of preparing veal steak or cutlets are in practice, but a very satisfactory one is to pan-broil them. This method prevents the juices from being drawn out of the meat and consequently produces a tender, palatable dish.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 2]

To pan-broil veal steak or cutlets, grease a hot frying pan with fat of any desirable kind, place the pieces of meat in it, and allow them to sear, first on one side and then on the other. When they are completely seared, lower the temperature, and broil for 15 to 20 minutes, or longer if necessary. Season well with salt and pepper. When cooked, remove to a platter and, just before serving, pour melted b.u.t.ter over the meat.

11. Veal Cutlets in Brown Sauce.--To improve the flavor of veal cutlets, a brown sauce is often prepared and served with them. In fact, the cutlets are cooked in this sauce, which becomes thickened by the flour that is used to dredge the meat.

To cook cutlets in this way, dredge them with flour, season them with salt and pepper, and saute them in hot fat until the flour is quite brown. Then pour 1 cupful of milk and 1 cupful of water over the meat, cover the pan securely, and allow to cook slowly for about 3/4 hour. The sauce should be slightly thick and quite brown. Serve the cutlets in the brown sauce.

12. Veal Roasts.--Several different cuts of veal make very good roasts.

The most economical one is a 5 or 6-inch slice cut from the leg of veal in the same way as the steak shown in Fig. 2.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 3, Shoulder of veal.]

Both the loin and the best end of the neck are excellent for roasting.

The shoulder of veal, which is shown in Fig. 3, is sometimes roasted, but it is more often used for stew. Veal breast from which the ribs have been removed and veal rack, which is the portion of the ribs attached to the neck, may also be used for roasting. When they are, they are usually cut so as to contain a deep slit, or pocket, that may be filled with stuffing. In fact, whenever it is possible, the bone is removed from a piece of roasting veal and stuffing is put in its place.

To roast any of these pieces, wipe the meat, dredge it with flour, and season it with salt and pepper. Place it in a roasting pan and put it into a hot oven. Bake for 15 minutes; then lower the temperature of the oven and continue to bake slowly until the meat is well done, the length of time depending on the size of the roast. Baste frequently during the roasting. Remove the roast to a hot platter. Then place the roasting pan over the flame, and make gravy by browning 2 tablespoonfuls of flour in the fat that it contains, adding to this 1-1/2 cupfuls of water, and cooking until the flour has thickened the water. Serve the gravy thus prepared in a gravy bowl.

13. Stuffed Veal Breast.--A breast of veal in which a pocket has been cut for stuffing is shown in Fig. 4. When such a piece is desired for roasting, it is advisable to have the butcher prepare it.

The stuffing required should be made as follows:

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 4]

STUFFING FOR VEAL

4 Tb. b.u.t.ter or bacon or ham fat 1/2 Tb. salt 1/8 Tb. pepper 1 Tb. celery salt 2 sprigs of parsley, chopped 1 pimiento, chopped 1-1/2 c. water 1 qt. stale bread crumbs

Melt the fat, and to it add the salt, pepper, celery salt, parsley, pimiento, and water. Pour this mixture over the crumbs, and mix all thoroughly. Stuff into the opening in the breast. Place the meat thus stuffed in a baking pan and bake in a moderately hot oven for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

14. Veal Potpie.--A good way in which to impart the flavor of meat to a starchy material and thus not only economize on meat, but also provide an appetizing dish, is to serve meat with dumplings in a veal potpie.

For such a dish, a piece of veal from the shoulder, like that shown in Fig. 3, is the best cut. To give variety, potatoes may be used, and to improve the flavor at least one onion is cooked with the meat.

To prepare a veal potpie, wipe the meat, cut it into pieces of the right size for serving, and to it add a few pieces of salt pork or bacon. Put these over the fire in enough cold water to cover the meat well and add a small onion, sliced. Bring to the boiling point and skim; then simmer until the meat is tender. Season with salt and pepper a few minutes before the meat has finished cooking. Next, make a baking-powder biscuit dough, roll it 1/4 inch thick, and cut it into 1-1/2-inch squares. Then examine the meat to see how much of the liquid has evaporated. If the liquid is too thick, add boiling water to thin it. Drop in the squares of dough, cover the pot tight, and boil for 15 minutes without uncovering.

If potatoes are desired in a pie of this kind, cut them into thick slices and add the slices about 10 minutes before the dough is to be put into the broth, so that they will have sufficient time in which to cook.

15. Veal Stew.--The cheaper cuts of veal can be used to advantage for making veal stew. Such a dish is prepared in the same way as beef stew, which is explained in _Meat_, Part 1, except that veal is subst.i.tuted for the beef. Vegetables of any desired kind may be used in veal stew, and the stewed or boiled dumplings mentioned in the beef-stew recipe may or may not be used. As the vegetables and the dumplings, provided dumplings are used, increase the quant.i.ty of meat-flavored food, only small portions of the meat need be served.

16. Jellied Veal.--The large amount of gelatine contained in veal may be utilized in the preparation of jellied veal. The most satisfactory piece for making jellied veal is the knuckle, or shank. No more attractive meat dish than this can be found for luncheon or supper, for it can be cut into thin slices and served on a nicely garnished platter.

JELLIED VEAL (Sufficient to Serve Six)